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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30125886">the gift you are</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninamyyly/pseuds/ninamyyly'>ninamyyly</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Renga Omegaverse [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SK8 the Infinity (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Alpha Hasegawa Langa, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Courting Rituals, Courtship, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Not Beta Read, Omega Kyan Reki, Pining</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:28:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,955</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30125886</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninamyyly/pseuds/ninamyyly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After Reki's heat, Langa keeps giving him weird gifts.</p>
<p>Or: Five times Langa gave Reki a (not very romantic) courting gift and he didn't realize what it was, and one time Reki gave Langa one and figured out they were, in fact, courting.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Renga Omegaverse [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2195763</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>811</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the gift you are</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was inspired by the Omegaverse prompt I found on tumblr: "Alpha courting the Omega, but not doing it in a romantic way. So they start gifting the Omega toothpaste and socks." I thought that that fit Langa's shtick really well and ended up making it into a 5+1 fic.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>1. The shirt</p>
<p>Reki’s adrenaline-induced heat is thankfully not a very long one. His fever breaks on the third day, but his Mom makes him stay home for one more day after. She says it is to make sure he won’t produce any more heat pheromones or that his temperature won’t raise back up, but Reki thinks she’s just worried because of the vague explanation he gave her for his injuries. Normally she’s pretty adamant of him not missing more school than he has to.</p>
<p>Before, Reki probably would’ve been happy about the excuse to be out of school, but being in heat resembles being sick in the way that it doesn’t make staying home any fun. Even once he’s no longer sluggish and tender from fever, Reki’s not really allowed to do anything or go anywhere, and by the afternoon of his fourth day home, he’s counting minutes to the next morning. It feels like he can’t breathe or sit still inside.</p>
<p>He longs for the freedom of the outdoors. Longs for company other than his sisters. Longs to skate again, to have fun again. To…to see Langa again, to talk to him properly. The shirt his friend gave for Reki to borrow has lost all traces of Langa’s scent with how close Reki has kept it throughout his heat. He’s done his best to find any traces of it towards the end, loneliness pressing heavy and cold on his chest. He wants to see Langa, to be able to scent him in real life again, and be soothed by his presence. To feel settled again and not like he’s ready to start climbing walls.</p>
<p>At least taking the time to wash the shirt for his first day back works as a bit of a distraction, the roll of the washing machine strangely hypnotic. He makes sure the shirt comes out clean and smelling of the laundry detergent his Mom prefers, rather than of him. Although the idea of Langa smelling him on the shirt is more than a little…exciting, Reki doesn’t think giving the shirt back smelling of his heat and covered in his various fluids would be very cool of him.</p>
<p>Once the shirt is hung up to dry, Reki takes a long bath himself to scrub off any remnants of fluids and extra pheromones still clinging to his skin. Afterwards, it is about time for him to go to bed, so he does, in order to wake up early the next morning.</p>
<p>Before he falls asleep, Reki types out a final quick message to Langa.</p>
<p>
  <em>Me: I’ll probably come to school 2morrow. Meet at our usual spot?</em>
</p>
<p>The response is a quick one.</p>
<p>
  <em>Langa: See you there. I’m glad you’ve recovered.</em>
</p>
<p>The next morning, Reki wakes up early for once, and can’t get out of the house fast enough. The early sun is bright and the outside air smells so good; the familiar salty mix of sea and pavements warming up. The only downer to his mood is that he can’t skate yet, with his arm still in a sling. He hopes he can get rid of that soon and at least skate in the streets, if not to do any proper tricks. He needs to feel the wind in his hair like that again; needs to remind himself that what happened with Adam was just a fluke. His love of skating hasn’t gone anywhere.</p>
<p>Still, it feels good to run, too; to get his heart pumping. He doesn’t even mind starting to sweat in the morning sun, because finally it is for some other reason than a fever. And as Reki turns a corner to the street where what has become his and Langa’s lightpole in the past few weeks to meet up at.</p>
<p>Langa must see him coming from the corner of his eye, because he turns. He breaks out in a slight smile, rising his hand in a small, greeting wave, and light catches in his hair, creating a halo around his head. Despite his rush, Reki swears his heart stops for a moment, and his breath catches for a reason that has nothing to do with his running.</p>
<p>Seeing Langa again seems to bring back all the embarrassment and shame Reki has been trying to avoid as he kept his shirt close and touched himself to the thoughts of his friend during his heat. He feels a flush coming over himself, swallowing around his suddenly dry throat. He continues on his path though he’s lost all feeling in his legs. Langa hadn’t been weird about the whole shirt thing. Hasn’t brought it up in any of the text they’ve exchanged while apart. Reki’s not going to be the one to make it weird. He needs to act normal, even while his stomach seems to feel like doing summersaults inside him.</p>
<p>“I hope you’re feeling better, now,” Langa says as Reki reaches him, his tone regularly bland and gentle, and him going straight to the point rather than dawdling with unneeded politeness. Nothing has changed.</p>
<p>“Y-yeah, it wasn’t the worst one I’ve had,” Reki mumbles. To feign perfect casualty, he averts his eyes to dig into his bag for Langa’s shirt, holding it out for his friend to take. “Thanks for letting me borrow it. It…it helped.”</p>
<p>Langa’s smile as he accepts the shirt is soft and sweet, like ice cream on a hot day, and Reki screams internally for his heart to settle down. He’s not going to make this weird, he’s not. It was just platonic gesture for Langa to share his shirt to make Reki’s heat more bearable. He can’t go around catching feelings like a kid from just having a piece of someone’s clothing as a heat remedy.</p>
<p>“I’m glad,” Langa says. “I’ll scent it again, and give it back to you when you have your next heat.”</p>
<p>The hair at the back of Reki’s head stands up and his ears begin ringing as they fill with blood. He can’t have heard that right, can he? He almost wants to ask, to clarify so he doesn’t give himself some false hope of making more of this than it is, but all that comes out of his mouth is, “Don’t you need it?”</p>
<p>“Not as much as you. I have other shirts,” Langa says, like it’s no big deal to continue to offer up his shirt for Reki to take comfort in for his upcoming heats after this one, too.</p>
<p>A question for clarity is already on the tip of Reki’s tongue when Langa reaches over and <em>takes Reki’s hand</em> into his, and flushes out all and any other thoughts and feelings in Reki’s body. His whole world becomes that hold on his hand, the way Langa’s fingers are so long and smooth against his, fitting so well around his own. His hold is so steady and sure, like this is something they do every day. And even with his heart still racing in his chest, something in Reki also settles, his core warm.</p>
<p>Langa begins pulling him along by their joined hands. His mind still miles away, Reki finds himself following.</p>
<p>“How’s your wrist?” Langa asks over his shoulder as they walk.</p>
<p>Reki’s stomach drops at the question, and it takes him a moment to come back to himself enough to understand why. That must be why Langa took his hand, to keep him steady just in case, so he won’t injure himself worse. That must be it.</p>
<p>He swallows down his disappointment. “It’s fine, it doesn’t really hurt anymore. I just can’t wait for the sling to come off, so we can skate again.”</p>
<p>Langa smiles, and says nothing more. Reki does his best to return the smile, and remember to be normal. He’s not going to make this weird. He’s not.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>2. The bottle</p>
<p>As much as Reki tries to move forward and forget about everything that happened before and during his heat, it’s easier said than done. For one, his sprained wrist is a constant reminder. But if it were just that, Reki thinks he could handle it. The memories that come haunt him with the injury are a whole other thing. It’s especially embarrassing when Reki – possibly used to taking napes over his heat – ends up having a nightmare in the middle of class. It starts out as memories but then his own body turns into Langa’s; a reminder of Langa’s promise to skate against Adam if Reki lost. Which he must now do. And possibly get hurt, or even die, like in Reki’s dream.</p>
<p>He snaps awake, covered in cold sweat, and realizes he’s just shouted out his friend’s name for all the class to hear.</p>
<p>His embarrassment or concern is not made any better by how determined Langa seems to be to skate against Adam, regardless of everything else that has happened. The mere thought makes the image of his falling body from his dream flash over Reki’s eyes, and he suppresses a shiver.</p>
<p>His throat feeling dry, he reaches for his lunch bottle, but his wrist hurts with the memory of his beef with Adam, and he’s quick to realize he can’t twist it open by himself. Langa may be kind enough to open it for him without making a big deal of it, but it’s still humiliating to not even be able to do that much.</p>
<p>He’s grateful for the distraction after school, when he has to go to work after having missed a few days of that, too. It also puts his mind a little more at ease, when Manager Oka agrees to try and talk to Langa about not skating against Adam, too.</p>
<p>Perhaps because that’s all that is on Reki’s mind even the next morning, he’s surprised when Langa holds a new lunch bottle for him. “It’s for you.”</p>
<p>Reki blinks at the bottle, more than a little confused. “What? Why?”</p>
<p>“You still have a while before your wrist heals,” Langa says. “With this bottle, you can open it by yourself, even one-handed.” He pulls a little at the top point of the bottle, pulling its drinking cork up with just his fingers. “See?”</p>
<p>Reki’s not sure what to say to that. But he also feels warmed by the gesture. He hadn’t even said anything out loud, but Langa knew. It feels good to be thought of, to be considered like this.</p>
<p>He allows the affection blooming in his chest to break into a smile on his face, accepting the bottle. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>Langa gives him his smaller smile in return, his scent taking on a bit of sunshine-like smell, which Reki interprets as him being pleased. It’s enough for him to allow Langa to hold his hand again on the way to school.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>3. Ramen</p>
<p>Reki tries his utmost, consulting and talking to everyone he thinks can help Langa change his mind about skating against Adam, but in the end, it turns out to matter very little. They begin their beef, and at least thankfully Langa seems to be holding up fairly well, but then the cops show up and everything has to be cut short in the middle. Even if them discovering the secret location means they will have to steer clear from skating at <em>S</em> for a while, deep down, Reki is relieved. At least this way, nothing too dangerous could occur. And Langa even promises to not skate against Adam again, which makes things even better.</p>
<p>They go get ramen at the place nearby after, and Reki finally feels truly settled; a humming happiness frizzling beneath his skin. The smell of food is soothing and makes him drool a little. He decides to get an extra-large bowl.</p>
<p>He’s just about to pull out some bills from his wallet to pay for his order, when Langa stops him with his arm, speaking to the waiter. “I’ll be paying for both orders.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to do that. I can pay for my own,” Reki says, though he can feel heat creeping onto his cheeks. Langa offering to pay makes the occasion feel almost like…</p>
<p>No, he should toss those thoughts immediately. Langa probably has his reasons for wanting to pay, and it has nothing to do with Alphas and Omegas and occasions where an Alpha might pay for an Omega’s dinner. They hang out like this all the time. This isn’t anything new. Just a regular night of eating out between friends.</p>
<p>“Think of it as me making it up to you. For making you worry about me,” Langa says, keeping his eyes forward, his muted expression not changing. But Reki can smell a bit of spicy determination in his scent, not too unlike the way he smells at <em>S</em>. Reki loves that smell on him.</p>
<p>He swallows hard, but his voice still comes out weak with, “You don’t have to…”</p>
<p>“I want to,” Langa says, pulling out some bills from his wallet. He gives Reki a look from the corner of his eye, a bit of a smile from the corner of his mouth. “Let me care for you, this one time.”</p>
<p>Reki tries to ignore his heart hammering in his throat, like it’s trying to do an ollie out of him. “O-okay, fine.”</p>
<p>They settle down to eat, not really talking as they slurp in their noodles. But Reki can’t help but think this might be the best bowl of ramen he’s ever had. Or at least the most meaningful one. Even if he and Langa are not really on a date.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>4. Toothpaste</p>
<p>The week following Langa’s interrupted beef with Adam starts out pretty normal. Reki is finally able to be without the sling, wearing only light bandages on his wrist and lower arm to not aggravate any swelling. He can move his arm more and more without it hurting, and he’s able to skate again, which brings a sense of lightness back to him. It’s good to leave all that nasty business behind and return to the usual way of things. The only thing that somewhat of a bummer is that Reki has to go to school with his mouth feeling like it’s been stuck inside a freezer because he had to borrow Tsukihi’s mint toothpaste when he ran out of his own preferred bubblegum flavor.</p>
<p>Still, apparently Langa still worries, because over lunch, he says, “I was texting Miya, and he told me about this healing hot spring in Miyakojima that is supposed to be good for injuries. Why don’t we go there over the weekend for a short stay? You could rest your wrist in the warm water.”</p>
<p>Reki only barely avoids choking on water he’s gulping down from the bottle Langa got for him, swallowing the liquid down hard. “It’s pretty much healed anyway…” he mumbles.</p>
<p>Using a hot spring as a healing remedy feels like such an old man thing to do. But then again, getting a change of scenery, taking a short vacation might not be so bad. It might be just what they need to put all the bad stuff behind. A sense of peace settling over him, Reki glances up towards the sky, watching white clouds pass by. They remind him of Tsukihi’s toothpaste, and he cringes, remembering the flavor.</p>
<p>“I ran out of toothpaste last night and I had to use my sister’s. I still taste the mint…” he mumbles. He knows Langa won’t comment on the sudden train of thought or see it as Reki changing the subject. He’s one of the few people who seem to be able to follow Reki’s fast mind and keep up with whatever he says, whenever he says it without a more detailed explanation needed.</p>
<p>Indeed, Langa just nods, before pulling out his phone, “We could invite Miya on the trip, too, since he suggested the place.”</p>
<p>They begin to make plans, including Miya in via text messages.</p>
<p>
  <em>Miya: not sure my folx will lemme go w/ just u 2 tho</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Me: You might have a point there. It would probably make all our parents feel better if an adult came along…</em>
</p>
<p>It takes Miya a moment to respond, possibly pondering on a good solution.</p>
<p>
  <em>Miya: meet me at shadow’s workplace after school.</em>
</p>
<p>Shadow’s sweet manager talks him into coming along better than any of the three teenagers’ begging ever could, which Miya was probably counting on. He’s pretty crafty for being only thirteen, and it almost scares Reki a little sometimes. Shadow goes so far as to even agree to make the bookings and plans as the adult, which is pretty cool of him, all things considered. Reki starts to look forward to the trip, even, making this week all the better.</p>
<p>It’s further improved the next morning, when upon meeting up, Langa hands him a tube of Reki’s favorite bubblegum-flavored toothpaste. Before Reki even has a chance to ask, Langa simply says, “You said you ran out.”</p>
<p>Reki can’t stop staring at the tube, can’t stop blinking at it. It’s true he hasn’t had the chance to buy more yet or ask his Mom to do so, between the travel plans, school and work, but the last thing he had expected was for Langa to buy him some. Even down to his preferred flavor. It makes something in his chest feel like it’s about to burst.</p>
<p>It is with a somewhat shaky hand that he accepts the tube. “…Thanks, I guess.”</p>
<p>Langa nods at him, and then takes his uninjured hand so they can skate to school side-by-side. Holding hands is becoming a habit of theirs. The impending ending to it is the only thing keeping Reki from completely looking forward to a clean bill of health.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>5. Soda</p>
<p>The trip is fun, made even more so by the unexpected appearances of Joe and Cherry. They might’ve come to do their own thing, but the familiarity and skateboarding has them quickly joining the group with Reki and others. Langa is excited about the ocean to the point of it being goofy and adorable, even if he ends up paying for getting carried away in the form of the slight heatstroke he has to come down from. Reki and Miya do their best to help him cool down in the shade of the beach umbrella.</p>
<p>Even the fact their inn isn’t much to write home about is solved when Joe invites them to eat with him and Cherry at the more expensive inn the two adults are staying at. Since Cherry is being treated by his clients, and there’s no way he can finish all the food being offered by himself, Reki doesn’t feel too bad about taking advantage of the opportunity, eating with gusto. The food being so good almost makes up for the fact that Cherry refuses to let him drink alcohol.</p>
<p>Once he’s finished with his meal, though, Reki feels a sudden weight of weariness settle over himself. It’s been a long day, and at the moment, it feels like he can <em>hear </em>everything, from the buzzing of the flies outside to the clinking of dishes as the others finish up their meal. It grates at his temples, makes it difficult to breathe, and he feels like the walls of the dining room are closing in on him. Between Miya’s attempts to scare him with local horror-inducing advice about not going out after dark and being able to tell how Langa has improved as a skater more and more in just a few short months, the night and the day that came before it are starting to feel like they’re too much for Reki to bear.</p>
<p>Knowing he needs to get out of here, get a bit of privacy and some quiet to himself, Reki gets to his feet. “I’m going to get a drink.”</p>
<p>“Wait, Reki,” Langa says, starting to go through his pockets. He digs out some change, handing it over to Reki. “Can you bring me one too, if I treat you to yours?”</p>
<p>“I would’ve brought you one anyway…” Reki says, averting his eyes. But he’s too worn down, too on edge to really put up a fight. “But okay, I’ll be back in a bit.”</p>
<p>In the end, running into Joe and talking to him about skating and his moves in hopes of improving in his own makes Reki forget all about bringing Langa a drink as well. And then things get just plain <em>weird</em> fast as they try to make their way to the actual hot spring and run into what Reki can only describe as <em>mud monsters</em>.</p>
<p>He doesn’t remember he was supposed to bring Langa a drink until they’re on the boat ride home, and by then it feels weird to bring it up when Langa himself hasn’t. But Reki swears to himself that he’ll treat his friend next time, to whatever they might be having.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>+1</p>
<p>Getting home is a relief after that weird night Miyakojima, and the fact life starts to really settle back into Reki’s new normal with Langa helps him put that terrible experience out of his mind. His bandages come off, he and Langa keep skating together, going to school and work. Strangely though, Langa doesn’t stop holding Reki’s hand when they go to school. Perhaps he’s just gotten used to it and doesn’t see a reason to stop. Reki allows it, and tries not to enjoy it too much, or in a way he’s not supposed to.</p>
<p>They’re working the graveyard shift at Dope Sketch when Reki sees his chance to fulfill his promise to himself and treat Langa to something, when they decide to order in burgers and fries to help them get through the monotony.</p>
<p>“Lemme pay, Langa, seriously,” Reki says, fiddling with the ordering app. “You’ve been paying for an awful lot of things lately. Let me get this one thing.”</p>
<p>The reaction Langa gives him to that feels more than a little out of place, because Langa <em>blushes </em>of all things. “Well, it’s…” he trails off, averting his eyes to the side. He mumbles something more Reki can’t make out.</p>
<p>“What?” he says, leaning in closer to see if that might help. “I couldn’t hear you.”</p>
<p>“It’s…” Langa mumbles, a bit louder this time, the tips of his ears starkly obviously red beneath his light hair in a way that Reki can’t help but find adorable and pretty. The sight and the smell of him so nervous makes his heart thump. “It’s what Alphas do, don’t we…when we’re…courting an Omega…”</p>
<p>What.</p>
<p>What?</p>
<p>“<em>What?!</em>” Reki cries out, his mouth falling open. Thoughts race inside his head, and he can barely catch onto any of them to take a closer look, to try and make some sense of the situation.</p>
<p>The first thing that he thinks of is that this must be a joke. It has to be, right? It’s not a very funny one, but then again Langa doesn’t seem like the kind of dude who would have the greatest sense of humor ever…</p>
<p>But Reki never thought him capable of making light of something like this, either. It feels too mean-spirited of the Langa he knows and lo…<em>likes</em>.</p>
<p>Langa turns to him, his cheeks still adorably flushed and his teal eyes big and confused. “What?”</p>
<p>Reki tries to laugh, because it feels like the only appropriate response in the situation. Not to mention doing so masks the hollow, carved out ache beginning in his chest pretty well. “That’s a…funny joke, Langa. You sure got me…”</p>
<p>Langa tilts his head, now narrowing his eyes slightly. “What joke? Who’s joking?”</p>
<p>Reki blinks a few times in rapid succession. “But…but…” He can feel his own cheeks start to heat up, hot flashes of emotion leaving him sweating beneath his hoodie. “You haven’t…I mean we’ve never…” His mouth falls open. “Those were <em>courting gifts</em>?”</p>
<p>Langa takes his turn to blink this time, though he does it only once, his scent taking on a sour note of worry. “Did you not like them?”</p>
<p>“It’s not that!” Reki cries, holding his hands up to whisk away any notion of that. He would cherish any gift he got from Langa, but <em>courting </em>gifts? Reki has to shake away the thought of trying to save up that toothpaste Langa got him.</p>
<p>He clears his throat, his heart going a mile a minute, still trying to make some sense of his thoughts, of the whole situation. “But they weren’t really…obvious, you know? You didn’t say anything, and stuff like toothpaste isn’t something you usually make into a courting gift.”</p>
<p>Langa’s cheeks turn a hue darker red, and he lowers his eyes. “I’ve been saving up for something nicer, for your birthday,” he mumbles. “But outside of skating stuff, there’s not much that you seem to want for yourself. So I got you things you might <em>need </em>instead.”</p>
<p>Reki is unable to stop himself from blinking again, his heart thumping so hard that he feels it in the bottom of his stomach. Langa…kind of has a point. Reki spends most of his money on skating stuff, either on equipment for boards, new tools or magazines on the topic. And those aren’t super cheap; he himself has to save up sometimes if he wants to make a bigger purchase. But everything Langa has given him in the past weeks has indeed been something he needs. And Langa’s known that. He’s gotten them based on just by things he’s noticed by observing and listening to Reki.</p>
<p>And somehow, that feels like the most thoughtful gift of all. One that makes Reki feel like a sun is shining inside of him. To be known, to be cared for in such a way, without even needing to ask. And isn’t that just the basis of courting? To show the other person you’re willing to be their backup, their someone to lean on?</p>
<p>“Oh,” he murmurs, feeling out of breath.</p>
<p>Langa shrugs, his cheeks still pink. “I thought I made my intentions clear when I gave you my shirt for your heat,” he says, sounding a little breathless himself. “I thought you knew I’ve been trying to court you.”</p>
<p>Perhaps Reki should’ve. Or at least he could’ve asked. But… “I was kinda afraid to bring it up. I thought I might ruin our friendship by…by admitting how much I like you.”</p>
<p>“Reki,” Langa says, finally looking up and reaching over to take his hand, lacing their fingers together. His hold is warm, and Reki feels steadied by it, by the affection in Langa’s tone and scent. “You could never ruin anything between us, no matter how you may feel. I’d still be your friend, even if you didn’t feel the same about me as I do you. I should’ve been clearer in my intentions, I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Reki snorts. “Well, I could’ve made it easier on you, too,” he says. “So I’m asking now. Are we courting, then? Dating?”</p>
<p>“I’d like for us to be,” Langa says with a nod, and a slight smile, happy sunshine entering his scent. “If you do too.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I definitely do.” Reki grins.</p>
<p>Langa’s smile widens, and for a moment they just look at each other, holding hands. Like they’ve been doing. It’s nice.</p>
<p>Wait.</p>
<p>“Hang on, if we’ve been dating these past few weeks, how come this is all we’ve been doing?” Reki blurts out. “How come you haven’t made a move towards more? I think we could’ve come clear sooner if you’d tried to kiss me or something.”</p>
<p>Langa averts his eyes again, looking shamefaced. “I thought you wanted to wait…I didn’t want to push…”</p>
<p>The words make Reki’s heart skip a beat again, but this time he recovers quickly and smiles from the corner of his mouth. He reaches with the hand not holding Langa’s to take a hold of the back of Langa’s head – his hair is so soft!! – and peer him straight in the eyes.</p>
<p>“Langa,” he says, lowering his voice and enjoying the way it makes Langa’s scent flare up a little. “Get over here and kiss me.”</p>
<p>Saying that seems to throw the rest of Langa’s caution into the wind. He leans in closer, Reki feels his warm palm cup his cheek, radiating Reki’s own warmth back to him. He only has a moment to take in Langa’s moist breathing before soft lips meet with his own, warm and affectionate. The touch sends fireworks exploding behind his eyelids, the beats of his heart working as their soundtrack, and he pulls Langa a little closer, doing his best to return the kiss. The mesh of their mouths is wet and more than a little clumsy, but Reki feels all the intent, passion and affection behind him, and that’s enough to make it perfect. They have time to make it perfect technically too.</p>
<p>Slowly, gently, they break apart, and spend another moment just grinning at each other. Time seems to fade away for a bit, leaving just the two of them in the world.</p>
<p>At least until Reki’s stomach growls with hunger, and he remembers what they were doing before this whole conversation started. He clears his throat and picks his phone back up. “I’m still buying today. I’m not some 1950s Omega who needs to be treated to dinner every time.”</p>
<p>Langa smiles. “Yeah, I know,” he says. “Go ahead then.”</p>
<p>The food arrives quickly, and the two of them eat and talk in the quiet night, just enjoying each other’s company. It almost feels like a date.</p>
<p>Reki can’t wait until they can go on a real one; a date where he’ll know it’s a date for real, for sure.</p>
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